Why are we feeding ourselves with so much highly processed soy foods? Most people assume eating soy is a healthy choice due to the amount of publicity surrounding the benefits of eating soy products. Given the way the industrial food model is structured, popular foods such as tofu are highly processed and take precedence over more traditional soy products. Why is this the case? The soy enterprise is one of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful multi-billion-dollar industries that promotes soy as a ‘wonder drug’.

The soybean itself is the seed of the soy plant. The soybean has many components, which has led to the proliferation of the widest array of soy foods seen on the market today. We are eating a ‘modified’ version of soy products mostly in unfermented forms, made into various processed imitation foods, such as fast food hamburgers, sausages, soymilk(1), soy cheese, soy ice cream, and soy infant formulas.

Soy is a Phytoestrogen

The main components of soy are protein and a class of compounds called isoflavones (a type of estrogen that can bind ‘estrogen receptors’). Isoflavones are the compounds being studied in relation to the relief of menopausal symptoms, prevention of cancer and bone loss, and reduction of heart disease risk. The extent to which soy isoflavones exert estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effects in humans is continually being studied.

Let’s Look at Traditional Soy

Traditional soy foods and most of the epidemiologic studies in Asia stem from whole soy foods as well as fermented soy. That includes tofu(3), tempeh, miso, edamame, soy sauce(4) and dry roasted soybeans.

The Chinese did not eat unfermented soybeans as they did other legumes, such as lentils, because they were aware of the large quantities of natural toxins or ‘anti-nutrients’ that soy contains. They considered soy an inedible plant! Agricultural literature of the period speaks frequently of the soybean and its use in crop rotation. In particular, the soy plant was initially used as a method of fixing nitrogen.

Soy and Hormonal-Related Disease

We know that Asian populations have lower incidence of hormonal-related disease such as breast, uterine, and prostate cancers, as well as osteoporosis and cardio vascular diseases.

It is a misconception to think that Asians have a low rate of hormonal disease due to a high intake of soy. In fact, soy is not the main source of dietary protein in Asia. Rather, Asians consume mainly fermented soy products, in small amounts along with sea vegetables(6), a wide variety of fish and medicinal herbs.

The Following are Studies

Reported on Soy

1 package of tempeh

1 tbsp of coconut oil or olive oil

1 leek

2 green onions

1 red pepper

3 garlic cloves

2 carrots

1 cup diced zucchini

½ cup sherry

1 chopped tomato

1 tbsp tamari or shoyu

–

References

1 Soy milk is often artificially flavored and sometimes made from isolated soy proteins combined with other ingredients. Pure soy milk has an unpleasant taste because of the containing compound enzyme lipoxygenase

2 Acrylamide is a chemical known to cause cancer in animals as per WHO (World Health Organization). In April 2002 the Swedish National Food Authority reported the presence of elevated levels of acrylamide in certain types of food processed at high temperatures

3 Tofu is produced by puréeing cooked soybeans and the varieties of tofu produced in ancient times are not identical to those of today

4 Soy sauce made from soybeans fermented with Aspergillus sojae fungus

5 Nagata C, Takatsuka N, kurisu Y, Shimizu H; J Nutr 1998, 128:209-13

6 Sea vegetables also contain lignans, compounds that have demonstrated a protective effect against breast cancer, according to Natalie Ledesma, M.S., R.D. of the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center

7 Chen XJ et al (1990). “Effects of emitted qi on inhibition of NPC cell line and DNA synthesis”. Using NPC (nasopharyngeal carcinoma) cell line, the emitted qi (external qi) was shown to inhibit the cell growth and DNA synthesis in the cancer cell line, which suggested qi may be a useful tool for treating cancer

8 Chandwani KD, Thornton B, Perkins GH, et al: Yoga improves quality of life and benefit finding in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer. J Soc Integr Oncol 8:43-55, 2010

9 Shizuki, et al, The Effects on the thyroid gland of soybeans administered experimentally in healthy subjects, Nippon Naibunpi Gakkai 1991 767: 622-629

10 Bulletin de L’office Fédéral de la Santé Publique, No28, July20, 1992

11 Phytate reduction of zinc absorption has been demonstrated in numerous studies. These results are summarized in Levinton, Richard, Tofu, Tempeh, Miso and other Soyfoods: ‘The Food of the Future’ – How to Enjoy Its Spectacular Health Benefits, Keats Publishing, inc., New Canaan, CT, USA, 1982. p. 1415

12 Children on soy-based formula have levels of estrogens 13,000-22,000 times higher than children on milk-based formula (Am J Clin 1998 Dec: 68 (6Suppl): 1453S-1461S)

13 Freni-Titulaer LW and others. Am J Dis Child 1986 Dec: 140(12):1263-1267

14 Sharpe RM and others. Infant feeding with soy formula milk: effects on the testis and on blood testosterone levels in marmostset monkeys during the period of neonatal testicular activity. Hum Reprod 2002 Jul;17(7): 1692-703

15 McGraw MD and others: Aluminum content in milk formulae and intravenous fluids used in infants. Lancet1:157 (1986)

16 Newbold R and others. Increased uterine cancer seen in mice injected with genistein, a soy estrogen, as newborns. Cancer Research 2002 Jun 1:61(11:4325-8

17 In rats, feeding SPI caused increased requirements for vitamins E, K, D and B12, created deficiency symptoms of calcium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, copper, iron and zinc. (Joseph. J. Rackis, “Biologocal and physiological Factors in Soybeans, “Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, January 1974, 51:161A-170A)

18 Goitrogens are known to depress the thyroid gland

19 Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 1997, Y. Koshihara and K Hoshi
Journal reference: “The results proved that vitamin K2 increased Gla-containing osteocalcin, which accumulated osteocalcin in the extracellular matrix, and facilitated mineralization in vitro.

20 Foods that Fight Cancer, Preventing Cancer through Diet, Richard Béliveau Ph.D., Denis Gingras, Ph.D.p. 83′The Anti-Cancer Effects of Cruciferous Vegetables

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“Spirit of Salt”

Namaste,

Aleksandra

Aleksandra Berndl

is a Homeopathic Doctor,

educator and consultant

on women’s health.

She has an extensive

background in Traditional

Chinese Medicine,

homeopathy, herbology

and nutrition.

practical experience.